


Dreaming While You Sleep

by CashaMayfield



Series: 25 Fluffy Fics [7]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Minor Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-02
Updated: 2016-08-02
Packaged: 2018-07-28 21:32:31
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,368
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7657492
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CashaMayfield/pseuds/CashaMayfield
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sirius thinks it’s just a bad dream.  Remus knows there is more to it than than.  As he finds out to his cost.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Dreaming While You Sleep

**Author's Note:**

> Written for [](http://25fluffyfics.livejournal.com/profile)[25fluffyfics](http://25fluffyfics.livejournal.com/), prompt 13 - Nightmare. Visit my [fluffy table](http://wildernesstales.livejournal.com/7425.html).
> 
> First posted on Livejournal on 09/11/2006

It wasn’t the kick in the shins that woke him. Or even the strangled cries. It was the hand hitting his cheek that finally dragged Remus from his slumber. He came awake slowly; at first puzzled as to what had woken him up, before Sirius’ muffled sobbing intruded on his senses.  
“Sirius?” He ventured quietly in the dark. He got no reply. Sirius was lost in whatever dream he was having. Remus gently rested a hand on his shoulder and was taken aback when Sirius flung himself towards the touch, grabbing hold of Remus tightly. It seemed like hours Remus lay there, Sirius clinging to him like a limpet before the sobbing finally subsided and Sirius’ breathing became more regular. The hold didn’t loosen unfortunately, and Remus found himself lying in an uncomfortable position for the rest of the night.  
He woke up again when Sirius got up, apparently oblivious to what had happened.  
“Morning Moony… that doesn’t look very comfortable.”  
“It wasn’t.” Remus replied through gritted teeth, stretching his muscles and sitting up. “You okay Sirius?”  
“Fine, never better.” Sirius called over his shoulder. “Coffee?” Remus answered and shrugged. He knew Sirius better than this. He was hiding something, and Remus was determined to find out what.  
Sirius climbed back into bed with two coffees and Remus took the opportunity while they were still relaxed.  
“Did you sleep all right last night?” The slight hesitation before Sirius answered was all he needed.  
“Yeah, pretty well. I didn’t snore or anything did I?” He teased, trying to steer Remus onto a different topic.  
“Well a bit, but you know what I’m talking about don’t you?”  
“It was just a bad dream Moony.”  
“Nightmare more like.” Remus retorted.  
“Just a bad dream Remus.” Sirius said, turning and put his cup down on the bedside table. Remus recognised the tone in his voice and knew better than to carry on the conversation.

It was well over two months later before Remus found himself forced awake by Sirius’ ‘bad dream’ again. This time it was the yell that woke him. Sirius was thrashing about beside him. Remus grabbed his shoulders to try and calm him down, belatedly realising that was probably not the best option as he found himself on the floor. As he caught his breath and sat up, he realised that Sirius was awake and staring down at him.  
“What are you doing on the floor Moony?” Remus stared back at him, biting his lip as he debated how to answer.  
“Fell out of bed.” He said finally.  
“Well that was silly.” Sirius said, holding out his hand to help pull Remus to his feet. As they settled down to sleep again, Remus spoke softly.  
“You really have to do something about this Sirius.” He didn’t get an answer.

Another three months passed without any incident. Then, two days before full moon, Sirius’ nightmare came back full force. Remus had had a restless night’s sleep, tossing and turning with frustration and impatience. He had just managed to drift off to sleep when he was woken by a heavy weight settling on him. Even without opening his eyes, he could tell it was Sirius. At first everything seemed harmless. Then strong fingers settled round his throat and he found himself fully awake and fighting for his life as the grip tightened. Sirius had always been stronger than him, but with full moon so close, the lycanthropy gave him extra strength. Yet it was still not enough. He fought back against Sirius, twisting and turning against the larger man, trying to wriggle his way free. Both his hands were clamped around Sirius’ wrists, desperately trying to force them away with little success. Spots danced in front of his eyes, and he closed them briefly for a moment, opening them wide as he realised he relaxed slightly with them closed. All he could hear in the darkness of the bedroom was his harsh ragged breathing and Sirius murmuring above him.  
“You killed him. I’ll kill you.” Straining, he could just make out what Sirius was repeating over and over again, the grip around his throat tightening all the time. Soon, he realised, he would have little strength left to defend himself and Sirius might actually do what he was dreaming of doing. Images flashed through his mind and he struggled harder against Sirius. Hoarsely he tried calling his lover’s name in the vain hope it would wake him, but little sound escaped.  
He could feel more than see the darkness closing in at the edges of his vision. Yet, still he could not lie there and let this happen. But Sirius was stronger than he was, even asleep, he was still stronger than Remus, easily able to pin him down. Just when Remus thought he was going to pass out, the pressure eased and the weight atop him shifted.  
“Remus?” Sirius’ voice drifted down to him, his tone unsure. Drawing in deep ragged breaths, Remus had no strength left to reply. The simple act of breathing unencumbered draining the last remnants of strength from him. His last memory was Sirius bending closer to him, blinking worriedly.

 

“Padfoot, he’s going to be okay.”  
“Listen to James, Sirius. Poppy said there would be little after-effects, just a bit of bruising.”  
“But I nearly killed him.” Remus had only ever once heard that self-pitying repentant tone in Sirius’ voice, so it was alarming to hear it again.  
“Sirius…” He managed to whisper, his voice sounding strange to his own ears.  
“Moony! I’m so sorry…” Sirius trailed off, not quite knowing how to explain and apologise for his actions. Remus forced himself to open his eyes, and gazed levelly at Sirius.  
“Just a bad dream…” He managed to say, a hint of a smile on his lips. Lily burst out laughing, and even James looked as though he was trying his hardest not to laugh out loud. Sirius looked dumbfounded. He had obviously expected raised voices and Remus telling him to get out of his sight. That Remus would be able to make a joke of it had never crossed his mind. Admittedly, Remus found it hard to laugh about it, the soreness of his throat a vivid reminder of what had happened. But the fact remained that Sirius had not done it whilst awake. He had been asleep and in the throes of a nightmare. Now hopefully, he would find out what the nightmare was about and find someway of stopping it from happening again.

“So what was the dream about?” Remus asked softly, when they were alone again.  
“I’d rather not talk about it Moony.”  
“I’m sorry Sirius, but I think we need to. Especially now.” He didn’t want to mention that he was worried about going to sleep again. As if they didn’t have enough to worry about at the moment, he was worrying about sleeping in the same bed as his lover. But telling Sirius that would only make things worse he surmised.  
Eventually, after much cajoling, he managed to get Sirius to tell him what the nightmare was about. It was a common fear; loved ones being killed, which with Voldemort on the rise, was not an unlikely possibility, especially considering their work for the Order. It was daunting, sitting there listening to Sirius recount how he died in different ways. And Sirius’ reactions to them. Most of which, he had woken up to.  
“Sirius, I will do my best not to die on you.” Was all Remus could promise. As much as he had hoped to be able to solve the whole nightmare riddle; having heard it all now, he realised there was not much he could do to stop it.  
“I know Remus…”  
“Besides…” Remus managed to shift to nudge Sirius in the ribs. “… you might well beat them to it.” He grinned. Sirius looked abashed for a moment, before grinning in return and rolling onto his side to face Remus.

“Besides…” Remus began much, much later. “It’s nice to know you’ll avenge me.”  
“Heh, you’ll know I’ll always do that. Gotten too used to it at school.” Sirius smirked before grunting as Remus elbowed him in the side.  



End file.
